Billing dispute with Princess - Who's right?

[Tedirene]

In order for Princess to refer the matter to Collections, wouldn't they need a copy of the bill to justify their actions? If they have a copy of the bill they have a copy of your account.

 

I agree with the others. I can't see Princess letting you off ship without settling your account in full.

[Hunwolf]

I learned a very long time ago that whenever somebody tells me "It's the principle, not the money", what they are REALLY saying is "It's the money".

 

It's probably a combination of both. I don't think many people...other than Kobe Bryant...just have $300 to throw out the car window.

[CaribbeanCruisers]

Did you really give them a 50% tip, or is this a major typo?

 

No, it's not a typo. This was an AMAZING experience, unlike any other balcony dinner we've had (they've all been great) and we felt $150 for the six of us well deserved. Our two waiters went above and beyond that night... it was by far, our best ever day at sea!

[CaribbeanCruisers]

I learned a very long time ago that whenever somebody tells me "It's the principle, not the money", what they are REALLY saying is "It's the money".

 

I'm glad you know us so well... Compared to what we spent for that sailing for three cabins, all onboard expenses and whatnot, $300 is nothing.

It's the principle. Whether it's $3, $30 or $300, we shouldn't have to pay it twice.

[hulamoon]

I would ask Princess for proof, they must produce it, or ask your credit card company to ask them in the dispute. Put the whole matter on the back burner until they do. If they are sending you to collection without taking this step, I think I would change my next cruise.

 

There are lots of cruise options these days, loosing trust means loosing a customer. Your quality of vacations time will be reduced if you have to worry about collections, and poor accounting.

 

Even if you give the money to chairty it needs to be your choice what you do with it.

[broberts]

As others have said, it does seem strange that Princess can / will not produce a copy of your shipboard account detail. What I find really puzzling is that they are trying to charge the OP $300 for the meal, but nothing for the gratuity that the OP added.

 

But the real red light to me is that Princess is trying to collect the amount directly from the OP using phone and email. According to the contract they can simply charge the credit card used for the voyage any amount the was omitted from the original settlement. OP, are you sure that your communications are with Princess? Get them to send you a letter by snail mail with all the details.

[Ethel5]

I have a question....

 

Why is the UBD for SIX people only $300? Isn't it a lot more than that? Could it be that Princess is charging them the difference from what they already paid and the actual cost?

[PescadoAmarillo]

There is no doubt that the onus is on Princess to produce the statement of your shipboard expenses, showing what was paid by your credit card. Anything less than that and they are simply bullying you for the money in a most unbusiness-like practice. I faced something similar a few years ago with internet service used away from home. It deteriorated into a he said/she said until I pointed out to them that I would be happy to pay, once they produced proof of services rendered. Of course, they could not, and that was the end of it. And, as others have stated, Princess has the ability to generate that statement on a moment's notice. Any reluctance on their part to do that would make me even more highly suspect.

 

Honestly, Princess accounting seems to be the most mismanaged department in the company. We've had issues both on the ship, and with FCCs. It's a good thing the rest of their product is fantastic. But this is just one more reason why I will never be convinced that autotips are managed as diligently as we would be led to believe. Move those people into the accounting department!

[caribill]

I would ask Princess for proof, they must produce it, or ask your credit card company to ask them in the dispute.

 

Put the whole matter on the back burner until they do.

 

Unless Princess now biils the credit card company for the $300, there is nothing to dispute with the credit card company. OP says they paid the credit card company what was billed at the end of the cruise, so that payment is not in dispute.

 

What is in dispute is what was contained in that bill and the credit card company will have no knowledge of the details.

 

I would not put it on the back burner as the OP would not want this to go to a bill collector which would start a whole new hassle including a hit to their credit rating.

[TracieABD]

I have a question....

 

Why is the UBD for SIX people only $300? Isn't it a lot more than that? Could it be that Princess is charging them the difference from what they already paid and the actual cost?

 

I believe that UBD is $50 per person. So 300 would be correct.

[bhopal21]

Yes $300 is the correct amount for 6 persons.

 

Mike:)

[CALMOM]

As others have said, it does seem strange that Princess can / will not produce a copy of your shipboard account detail. What I find really puzzling is that they are trying to charge the OP $300 for the meal, but nothing for the gratuity that the OP added.

 

But the real red light to me is that Princess is trying to collect the amount directly from the OP using phone and email. According to the contract they can simply charge the credit card used for the voyage any amount the was omitted from the original settlement. OP, are you sure that your communications are with Princess? Get them to send you a letter by snail mail with all the details.

 

Very Good Point. Maybe it's not Princess :confused:

[Colo Cruiser]

Where is the detailed final bill given to you onboard?

[CaribbeanCruisers]

As others have said, it does seem strange that Princess can / will not produce a copy of your shipboard account detail. What I find really puzzling is that they are trying to charge the OP $300 for the meal, but nothing for the gratuity that the OP added.

 

But the real red light to me is that Princess is trying to collect the amount directly from the OP using phone and email. According to the contract they can simply charge the credit card used for the voyage any amount the was omitted from the original settlement. OP, are you sure that your communications are with Princess? Get them to send you a letter by snail mail with all the details.

 

 

I copied and pasted the EMAIL RECEIVED FROM PRINCESS TODAY:

Mr. *****,

I am sending this e-mail hoping to resolve the billing matter of $300.00 for Balcony Dining while onboard the Ruby Princess

last Oct 2009. I have spoken to you in March 2010 on this matter , and I was under the impression that a payment woukd be sent.

You did have a dispute on why the bill was so late coming to you, and I advised that the charge was not added to your folio at the

time of disembarkment. We did receive the statement from the ship in our Valencia office and a bill was sent to you in Jan. 2010. (This was new information to us, not to mention, it never happened!)

Please advise back to me if the bill will be paid, or your explanation why you are disputing the charge.

 

Thank You,

 

*****

Finance Department

Phone 661-753-0579

Ext. 30579

Fax: 661-753-1341

We also received two phone calls from them today. The first one we were not home.

My DH disputed two things, the charge and the timing. This email only mentions the timing. Also, we never received anything by mail or phone in Jan 2010.

[TrikeRider]

I would tell them to prove it to you it was not added to your folio as they mentioned in the email.

[Colo Cruiser]

The OP needs to be careful as Princess may ban them from cruising if this is not resolved. :(

[TracieABD]

The OP needs to be careful as Princess may ban them from cruising if this is not resolved. :(

Can they do that? Is $300 (unfounded/documented) enough to hamstring the OP?

If this is the case, it would be like blackmail...

 

Very unfortunate, indeed.

[grandmato4]

As others have said, you need to again request a copy of your folio for the cruise from Princess and tell them that is so you can compare to your credit card charge amount to verifiy if the $300 charge has or has not been paid. It is your belief that you did already pay the $300 charge and and for that reason have not paid the bill they presented you with 6 months later. This is the only way to verify who is correct. And yes, this does need to happen before your August cruise.

[Times Prince]

I copied and pasted the EMAIL RECEIVED FROM PRINCESS TODAY:

 

,,,

Please advise back to me if the bill will be paid, or your explanation why you are disputing the charge.

 

Thank You,

 

*****

Finance Department

Phone 661-753-0579

Ext. 30579

Fax: 661-753-1341

 

It appears you have the contact information and some good suggestions from others on the board. Your next step is with the supervisor of that department, requesting the onboard account statement and why they believe there was an error.

 

Good luck.

[MaryPoppinz]

Can they tell you whether or not the $150 you authorized as a tip to your waiters was added to the folio before you disembarked? It really has no bearing on whether you do or do not owe this, but I think it would be interesting to know their position is on whether you've paid the $150 tip.

 

I agree with the others. I would not pay a bill without some supporting documentation. "We heard that you didn't pay your onboard bill in full" is not really going to cut it. This should be *very* easy to settle by looking at the folio and seeing whether the total charges for your trip )<--Princess should be able to produce this) match up to what you paid (<--you should be able to produce this.)

 

Note to self: Keep a copy of bill. For a really long time.

[Buddy604]

I have a question....

 

Why is the UBD for SIX people only $300? Isn't it a lot more than that? Could it be that Princess is charging them the difference from what they already paid and the actual cost?

UBD is $100 per couple - $300 for three couples.

[broberts]

I copied and pasted the EMAIL RECEIVED FROM PRINCESS TODAY:

 

Mr. *****,

I am sending this e-mail hoping to resolve the billing matter of $300.00 for Balcony Dining while onboard the Ruby Princess

last Oct 2009. I have spoken to you in March 2010 on this matter , and I was under the impression that a payment woukd be sent.

You did have a dispute on why the bill was so late coming to you, and I advised that the charge was not added to your folio at the

time of disembarkment. We did receive the statement from the ship in our Valencia office and a bill was sent to you in Jan. 2010. (This was new information to us, not to mention, it never happened!)

Please advise back to me if the bill will be paid, or your explanation why you are disputing the charge.

 

Thank You,

 

*****

Finance Department

Phone 661-753-0579

Ext. 30579

Fax: 661-753-1341

 

We also received two phone calls from them today. The first one we were not home.

My DH disputed two things, the charge and the timing. This email only mentions the timing. Also, we never received anything by mail or phone in Jan 2010.

 

If anything in this email is inaccurate I would suggest responding to the email pointing out the parts that you feel are inaccurate. E.G. the fact that you received no bill in January 2010; if in your March conversation you did not agree to pay the amount you should point that out. The purpose of this is to start a paper trail of your own. In my experience it is important to never let an inaccurate statement slip through without challenge.

 

If this email omitted facts from the phone conversation you should also mention those. I.E. you asked for the detailed shipboard account statement.

 

This is a tough one. Big companies can be real bullies. Insist on a detailed shipboard statement. If they can not produce the paperwork that shows you were not billed the charge then one hopes that someone at Princess will consider the possibility that they have made a mistake.

[rdsqrl]

I have a question....

 

I copied and pasted the EMAIL RECEIVED FROM PRINCESS TODAY:

 

Mr. *****,

I. . . You did have a dispute on why the bill was so late coming to you, and I advised that the charge was not added to your folio at the

time of disembarkment. . . . .

Thank You,

 

*****

Finance Department

Phone 661-753-0579

Ext. 30579

Fax: 661-753-1341

 

Well, it never dawned on me that it wasn't really Princess who was hounding you until I read this -- "disembarkment"? I find it highly suspect that someone working for the cruise line does not know the proper word. Now I wonder.

[woodofpine]

Legally, the 'burden of proof' is ALWAYS on the plaintiff (in this instance Princess). Princess is asserting a deviation to their own charging processes. Not only as a matter of decent customer relations - but as a matter of law - they must provide a complete onboard account statement in order to show the charges weren't duly paid as is the normal process in this instance. In the absence of the onboard account statement, they can't begin to establish what happened either way?

 

The foregoing notwithstanding, even if they didn't properly include the item, I seriously question the wisdom of hitting a long term customer with present bookings for such a high margin (low cost) item so long after the fact; it does nothing but generate ill will and jeopardize future bookings. Shoot! They look like idiots either way!

[dfields1814]

I hope this $300 dispute won't ruin your next cruise!

 

You should be able to contest this charge through your credit card company. Just give them the facts in writing.

 

We had a problem like this (not with Princess) and American Express handled the whole thing to our satisfaction.